This immersive Great Wildebeest Migration Safari in Tanzania will take you to four of its most scenic & biodiverse regions – Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti. Immerse yourself in the world’s greatest migration as millions of wildebeest cross the Serengeti towards the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
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Ker & Downey® Africa > Trips > The Great Wildebeest Migration Safari in Tanzania
This immersive Luxventure® experience through Tanzania will take you to four scenic and biodiverse regions – Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro, and the Serengeti. Enjoy nine days of thrilling experiences that include everything from staying in a treehouse with your own Maasai guard to ward off nocturnal animals, to drifting over the Serengeti in a hot air balloon, walking along the rim of an ancient volcanic caldera, and witnessing the epic Great Wildebeest Migration up close. Encounter the Big Five, dine under the stars, visit Maasai villages and more. There is no better way to explore the many wonderful facets of a Tanzanian safari than this.
Your Great Migration Luxventure® journey starts as soon as you step off the plane at Kilimanjaro International Airport. Here, you’ll be met by one of our intrepid Ker & Downey® Africa representatives who will accompany you on a seamless transfer to Arusha Coffee Lodge. This intimate, sophisticated lodge offers luxury accommodation on a working coffee plantation, which means you’ll be treated to excellent coffee, and be able to learn more about the age-old craft of growing, harvesting and roasting during your stay.. Enjoy a scenic retreat in beautifully appointed private chalets overlooking the verdant foothills of Mount Meru, and sit down to dinner at the on-site Redds African Grill House, where you can savor some alluring Tanzanian dishes.
After you’ve enjoyed breakfast at Arusha Coffee Lodge, your driver will arrive to transfer you to Tarangire National Park, just shy of 3 hours away by car. Upon arrival, settle into your luxurious treetop suite that will be your home base for the next two days. You will also have the opportunity to meet the Maasai Warrior who has been assigned to guard your suite from wild animals during your stay. This boutique camp has 20 suites nestled amidst Baobab and Manila trees, providing you with unique bird’s-eye views of the surrounding area. Each spacious suite overlooks the Tarangire Sand River in complete isolation, opens on all sides and features an en suite bathroom with a private outdoor shower.
Visit a Maasai village to learn more about the culture of a tribe that has called Tanzania home for centuries, and enjoy a boma dinner under the African sky before embarking on a night game drive. Spend your first night suspended in the trees of Tanzania and wake up to a sunrise over the river.
Tarangire Treetops Lodge is a boutique camp comprising 20 luxury suites nestled amidst Baobab and Manila trees. Each spacious suite overlooks the Tarangire Sand River in complete isolation, opens on all sides and features an en suite bathroom with a private outdoor shower.
Enjoy a hearty breakfast before setting out on a morning game drive, or make your way on foot to explore with a Maasai guide and tracker by your side. Tarangire National Park is widely known for its exceptional avian biodiversity, as well as a plethora of high profile mammals that include elephant, wildebeest, zebra, lion, leopard, cheetah and buffalo. Return to camp after a thrilling day of game viewing, freshen up and make your way to a remote bush dinner in the African wild.
Tarangire Treetops Lodge is a boutique camp comprising 20 luxury suites nestled amidst Baobab and Manila trees. Each spacious suite overlooks the Tarangire Sand River in complete isolation, opens on all sides and features an en suite bathroom with a private outdoor shower.
Set out on a morning game drive, or make your way on foot to explore the Park with a Maasai guide and tracker at your side. Tarangire National Park is widely known for its exceptional avian biodiversity and prolific wildlife, including elephant, wildebeest, zebra, lion, leopard, cheetah and buffalo.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast before meeting your driver, who will transfer you to Entamanu Ngorongoro Tented Camp, where you will spend the next two nights. Situated high on the famed Ngorongoro crater rim, this thoughtfully designed refuge offers luxury tented accommodation that treads lightly on the earth, and offers an exceptional vantage point from a beautifully isolated setting. Seven en-suite tents overlook the crater amidst ancient acacia trees and dormant volcanic hills, providing an engaging overview that places the importance of the crater environment into a singular perspective. During your stay, you’ll be able to partake in immersive walking safaris and game drives that will introduce you to the fauna and flora of the famed Ngorongoro Crater.
The mineral-rich floor of the caldera is covered in nutritious grasses that draw vast herds of buffalo, zebra, gazelle, tsessebe and even black rhino. What follows is one of the densest populations of predators, especially lions, that you’ll find anywhere on the African continent.
Enjoy a last breakfast at Entamanu Ngorongoro Tented Camp and meet up with your driver, who will transfer you to Serengeti Pioneer Camp where you will spend the next three nights. Located in the heart of the renowned South-Central Serengeti, Serengeti Pioneer Camp is the ideal location from which to explore the many splendors of the plains, including the majestic Lake Magadi, mystical Moru Kopjes, and, of course, the awe-inspiring annual Maasai Mara/Serengeti wildebeest migration that is arguably the region’s biggest attraction. The camp itself was inspired by the mobile camps of the early 1900s and manages to capture the allure of a historic African safari through 12 en-suite tents, infused with the ambiance of the golden era of adventure and exploration.
Serengeti Pioneer Camp was inspired by the mobile camps of the early 1930s and is situated to offer superlative access to the annual migration. The camp features 12 luxurious en-suite tents, as well as a dining tent that hosts guests for breakfast and dinner.
After a bush breakfast on your second day, you’ll enjoy the special thrill of ascending up to 1000 m into the air on a hot air balloon safari that will give you a bird’s-eye view of the magnificent Serengeti. This truly mesmerizing experience is best enjoyed at dawn when the light is at its best, and you’ll be able to take incredible photographs to take home as keepsakes. Once you make your way back to the ground, you can still look forward to a game drive through the sought-after Serengeti National Park and a picnic lunch that will be enjoyed en route.
Serengeti Pioneer Camp was inspired by the mobile camps of the early 1930s and is situated to offer superlative access to the annual migration. The camp features 12 luxurious en-suite tents, as well as a dining tent that hosts guests for breakfast and dinner.
On your last day at Serengeti Pioneer Camp, you will spend the day tracking game and following hot on the heels of the Great Wildebeest Migration in the Serengeti National Park, with a knowledgeable ranger by your side. Arriving home after a day replete with wildlife experience, it’s time to freshen up and get ready for a final dinner under the star-spangled African skies for this great migration safari.
Serengeti Pioneer Camp was inspired by the mobile camps of the early 1930s and is situated to offer superlative access to the annual migration. The camp features 12 luxurious ensuite tents, as well as a dining tent that hosts guests for breakfast and dinner.
End your Ker & Downey® Africa experience with an effortless check-out at Serengeti Pioneer Camp before boarding a chauffeured transfer to the Seronera Airstrip for your flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport, from where you’ll depart Tanzania for your onward flight home. This marks the end of your Great Wildebeest Migration safari.
Our experts are here to help to plan your great migration safari.
The Great Wildebeest Migration sees over a million wildebeest migrate in a clockwise direction, from the plains of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania, through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, the Loliondo Game Controlled Area, and the Grumeti Reserve to Kenya’s Masai Mara in search of greener pastures and food. The circular journey follows a similar route every year, although precise timings can vary depending on rainfall.
It is the largest overland animal migration in the world and is one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World. The Great Wildebeest Migration is often a bucket-list experience for wildlife enthusiasts as these majestic beasts travel for over 800 kms in search of food and water. The migration route is fraught with danger, including making many dramatic river crossings that are filled with Nile crocodiles, with hundreds of thousands perishing as a result of predation by carnivores such as big cats, thirst, hunger, and exhaustion.
If you want to experience one of the greatest wildlife shows on earth, contact our team of Great Wildebeest Migration safari specialists.
Although the Great Wildebeest Migration follows a relatively fixed pattern, the precise timing varies from year to year. Here’s a rough guide to the timings of the great migration:
January: The first rains in the southern Serengeti plains beckon herds of wildebeest to the Ndutu plains as they move in search of greener grasses.
February: Over 8,000 wildebeest give birth around the abundant new grass around Lake Masek and Lake Ndutu.
March: The wildebeest start to head in a clockwise direction towards the northern part of the Serengeti National Park, passing through the Kusini Maswa region.
April: Around this month, the herds split into large groups, ambling towards the direction of Moru.
May: The wildebeest calves are now bigger and stronger, enabling the herds of wildebeest to cover greater distances, moving towards Lake Magadi.
June: By June, the wildebeest herds have spread out further, with some reaching the Mbalageti River, while others still linger around Lake Magadi.
July: This month is mating season, with the wildebeest herds spending their time in the Grumeti Reserve, along the banks of the Grumeti River, moving north towards the Masai Mara in Kenya.
August: The wildebeest face their biggest challenge, the crossing of the fast-moving Mara River in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, with thousands of animals perishing in the stampede, the rushing waters, or by crocodiles. The Mara River crossing is a sight-to-behold and, as such, many privately guided tours jostle for space along the banks of the river to witness the frantic herds in this great wildlife spectacle.
September & October: Massive herds of wildebeest gather in the vast open plains of the Masai Mara, grazing on the fresh green grass and gathering their strength.
November: The short rains start, triggering the wildebeest to move once again, leaving the plains of Kenya and heading south to western Loliondo and the Lobo area.
December. By this month, the herds have moved south once again, and the epic migration starts once again in January, following the same age-old route.
While wildebeest are the main draw, vast herds of other animals also follow this well-trodden migration route in search of good grazing, including zebras and smaller numbers of antelope species, including gazelle, impalas, and eland.
The cost of witnessing the Great Wildebeest Migration will depend on the time of year, where you witness it, and your desired level of experience. We specialize in luxury safaris, providing a bespoke and highly exclusive way to witness one of the greatest shows on earth. Contact our team to learn more about our Great Wildebeest Migration safari experience.
There are several spots to witness this stunning wildlife spectacle, depending on the time of year and your desired experience, and each phase of the migration offers a unique wildlife experience.
From December to March, the southern plains of the Serengeti National Park, as well as around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area are prime viewing spots. For those wishing to witness the wildebeest calving season, head to Lake Masek and Lake Ndutu in the month of February.
From April to June, vast herds move northward through the western corridor of the Serengeti. The sheer scale is awe-inspiring, while thrilling river crossings, around May to July, can be seen as the wildebeest and other animals cross the Grumeti River.
Around August, the herds make the Mara River crossing, one of the most dangerous in the great migration, with the wildebeest and other animals, including zebras, navigating the fast-moving waters filled with crocodiles. This crossing offers some thrilling, action-packed wildlife viewing opportunities.
The month of November provides a great opportunity to see vast numbers of wildebeest move south in search of greener grass in the southern Serengeti.
There are many experiences to be enjoyed during a Great Wildebeest Migration safari, especially when you book a migration safari experience with a leading luxury travel company like us. Just some of the experiences you can enjoy include:
The best way to book a Great Wildebeest Migration safari is to contact a reputable safari specialist, such as us. We have decades of expertise in curating once-in-a-lifetime safari experiences in Africa, including to see the Great Wildebeest Migration. Contact our team today.
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